This invention relates to inflatable devices for insertion in the stomach of a human or other animal to control obesity.
Various treatments for the illness of obesity have been employed. Each treatment differs in degree of effectiveness as well as undesirable side effects.
Pyschiatric or dietary regimens depend upon the will power of the patient to achieve the desired results. While weight loss may occur, the lack of will power in patients often leads to failure in the end result.
Surgical treatment of obesity is another approach to the problem. The various attempts have included gastric bypasses, small-bowel bypasses and other procedures. While more effective than psychiatric or dietary regimens, surgical treatments have often resulted in serious physiologic and metabolic derangements.
Devices have been developed which reduce the resevoir capacity of the stomach to achieve early satiety. Inflatable bag and tube combinations have been proposed wherein the bag is swallowed into the stomach. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,315 discloses such a combination. The tubing remains attached to the bag and inside the esophagus of the person being treated. The bag is periodically inflated, particularly just prior to mealtime or during the meal. Once the person has eaten, the bag can be deflated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,246,893 discloses an inflatable bag and tube combination which is surgically positioned outside and adjacent to the stomach. Upon inflation of the bag the upper abdomen is distended and the stomach compressed to thereby produce a sense of satiety which reduces the person's desire to ingest food.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,267 discloses a device which reduces the size of the gastric compartment and which is easily removed. The ballon is inflated to approximately 80% of the stomach volume and remains in the stomach for a period of perhaps 3 months or more. The balloon has a central opening serving as a passageway through the stomach for both liquids and solids.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,805 discloses a balloon type weight loss device which can be placed in a person's stomach through the mouth and esophagus without great discomfort. The structure used to place the balloon is entirely removed once the balloon is properly installed so that the balloon alone remains in the stomach.
The prior art fails to address the problem of potential deleterious contact with the gastric mucosa which can result from leaving an inflated bag in the stomach for an extended period of time. Additionally, most designs do not adequately provide passageways for food and gastric secretions.